rustbuckett

I'm trying to replace the steering column in my van, but I can't get the clamp fitting off of the steering box spindle. Are there any tips or tricks for this? I've got the pinch bolt all the way out, but it's so tight in there that I'm having trouble getting anything in there to spread the fitting.

Little Bear

Probably a bit of rust, it can really bind things up. Try prying between the gearbox and clamp, pushing it off.

rustbuckett

Is there any reason I should give it a little squirt of PB Blaster?

Little Bear

Wouldn't hurt anything.

johnt365

I got pretty good at removing the steering box on my 95.

I get the biggest flat head screwdriver I have and put the tip in the gap of the clamp from above. Then whack it with a hammer to expand the clamp. Twist and pry.

Position the box so it won’t hit the ground when it pops loose.

rustbuckett

I finally got the steering column out. I mean, it's not as if I was out there all day everyday trying to get it loose. I'd try something, fail, get frustrated and go do something else. I even devised a trying to pull it loose with a ratchet strap and a long pipe. The pipe went through the engine compartment to the ground and stuck out the top several feet. I hooked the ratchet strap to the u-joint and the top end of the pipe. All this accomplished was literally lifting the front driver side of the van several inches. Finally, I had a long, heavy screw driver that I'd tried several times but the end would always slide out of that split without opening it up. I ground down the sides of the tip enough to really seat it in there and drove it in with a shot mallet. I'm pretty frustrated with the situation by now, so I really drove it in there. I popped the screw driver out, reached in and just lifted the clamp off of the spline. Twenty minutes later, I had the new steering column in and hooked up.

Now I just have to figure out why there's no fuel from the injectors.

William Kisselstein

At some point they just pull out because they have a telescoping shaft section, I know 1995 is that way.

There is one hole in the front radiator support one can run a long pry bar down in and what I did was run it into the split in the clamp and whack it a few times to open it up. That always did the trick on stubborn ones. You have to either take the grille off, or be super careful when you run it in there.

Of course you can also loosen the clamp on the upper U-joint and take it off there.

As long as it's out I would replace the lower shaft with the joints on it. Unless it's a 1995 (not sure what years prior) with the rubber cover over it, if you live in a salt state, those joints can go bad and they make it feel like you have bad tie rod ends or who knows what, it just gets stiff. With mine I changed it and then when I was down south in a you pick yard I picked up a spare lower shaft just to have if I needed it.